Psalms 85:2-12

2 You have forgiven your people's sins and pardoned all their wrongs.

3 You stopped being angry with them and held back your furious rage.

4 Bring us back, O God our savior, and stop being displeased with us!

5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will your anger never cease?

6 Make us strong again, and we, your people, will praise you.

7 Show us your constant love, O Lord, and give us your saving help.

8 I am listening to what the Lord God is saying; he promises peace to us, his own people, if we do not go back to our foolish ways.

9 Surely he is ready to save those who honor him, and his saving presence will remain in our land.

10 Love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will embrace.

11 Human loyalty will reach up from the earth, and God's righteousness will look down from heaven.

12 The Lord will make us prosperous, and our land will produce rich harvests.

Psalms 85:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. This psalm is generally thought to have been composed after the return of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon; and yet when they were in some distress from their neighbours, either in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah, or in the times of Antiochus; but then this deliverance from captivity must be considered as typical of redemption by Christ; for as the title of the Syriac version is, "it is a prophecy concerning Christ;" it speaks of his dwelling in the land, of his salvation being near, and of the glory of the divine perfections as displayed in it; and perhaps some parts of it may respect the conversion of the Jews in the latter day; and Aben Ezra and Kimchi say, it is concerning the captivity of Babylon, yet also of their present captivity.